


Nalu Week 2017

by Chaotic_Catastrophe



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Nalu Week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-15 02:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11221509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotic_Catastrophe/pseuds/Chaotic_Catastrophe
Summary: This is a collection of my submissions for Nalu Week 2017:6/15- Video Games [x], 6/25- Gothic [x], 7/1- Nostalgia [x], 7/2- Tarot [x], 7/3- Flaws, 7/4- Body Language, 7/5- Mask, 7/6- Tattoo, 7/7- Intertwined, 7/10- Wild.





	1. Video Games

**Author's Note:**

> Video Games; Where our two lovebirds get a little bit of a helping hand from a dear friend and a healthy dose of competition.

Lucy huffed as she watched Natsu and Gray spar for the umpteenth time that day, sitting in the shade of the giant Sakura tree in South Gate Park. School had let for the Summer only a mere two days prior and the two young men were already ‘bored beyond belief’. While she had her books, apparently her two best friends had dates with each others’ fists. 

“Can’t we do _anything_ else today?!” she bellowed, her frustration peaking. The two huffing teens immediately ceasing in fear of receiving ‘Lucy Kicks’ if they didn’t listen. 

“What would you rather do, Princess?” Gray mocked, earning him a swift punch to the abdomen from his pink-haired friend. “What was that for Flame Brain?!”

Natsu sighed as he made his way to where Lucy was seated, bending to grab his shirt from the ground. “You know how much she hates that nickname, Ice Queen.” 

Gray didn’t get the chance to retort before Lucy hopped up while brushing off the backside of her jeans, literally standing between them. “Why don’t we go back to Natsu’s and play some video games?” she offered, knowing it would suck both boys in. She added an extra incentive to sweeten the deal. “I’ll even make those nachos you guys love so much…”

“With extra jalapenos…”? Natsu pouted playfully. He threw on his own black, cotton tshirt before grabbing both his and Lucy’s bags from the ground, leaving Gray’s right where it was. 

“Only on your side, Volcano Head,” Gray rebuked, gathering his own things while grumbling to himself. It didn’t even bother him that he had lost his own shirt sometime during the scuffle. He simply pulled a new one out of his bag and buttoned it up before the three of them set off down the block toward Natsu’s.

* * *

Upon arriving the three teens threw their bags by the door to Natsu’s room before settling in their typical spots. Gray grabbed a pillow from Natsu’s bed and sat on the floor, his back resting against the mattress. Natsu laid on his stomach to ensure an unobstructed view of the TV, but instead of sitting at the head of the bed like always, Lucy chose to sit beside Natsu in the middle of the bed. Lately, she’d been trying to find moments to be close to him and would take what she could get. Unfortunately for her, one best friend happened to be more dense than concrete when it came to ‘romantic matters’ which meant she’d probably never get through to him and the other was entirely too perceptive for his own good. 

Noticing the change, Gray hatched a plan. All he had to do was wait until the time was right and then he could strike. Grabbing the controllers from the charging dock, he handed one to Natsu as they booted up Injustice 2. Lucy always insisted on it because it was the only multi-player game Natsu had that she understood. Granted, she always picked Wonder Woman and button-mashed, but sometimes she got lucky and came out on top. However, Lucy winning wasn’t part of Gray’s Master Plan. 

After multiple rounds of changing off between the three of them, Gray noticed it was getting late. He didn’t have long to enact his plan, so he decided to go for it. 

“Who’s up for making this a little bit more interesting?” the raven-haired teen offered. “We go up against each other tournament-style. Winner gets whatever they want. Sound good?” He knew Natsu couldn’t turn down a challenge, but he needed Lucy to agree too. Finding her eyes lit up in competition, Gray knew he’d reeled her in too. 

“You’re on!” both teens shouted in reply, the three of them bumping fists. Gray quickly brought the focus back. “Alright, what do you two want if you win?” 

Natsu was the first to answer. “I want to go camping this weekend if I win!” the pinket replied excitedly. Their larger group of friends always took multiple camping trips ever Summer so it wasn’t like he was asking for too much. Gray smirked at the thought of his request. 

“If I win, we’re going to see that new Jenny Realight Friday night,” Lucy answered, eliciting groans from both teens. Leave it to her to choose a chick flick as her reward. 

“What do you want, Gray?” Natsu asked, “And no ice skating. We’ve already done that this week.” 

Grinning wickedly, Gray cracked his knuckles. “If I win, you have to kiss Lucy, Cotton Candy Crotch.” The two other teens paled at his request. “And none of that cheek bullshit. Full on, on the lips. Do we have a deal?” Honestly, with the look Natsu was giving him, Gray thought he might actually tap out and turn down a competition for the first time in the pinket’s life. 

“That’s fine because you won’t be winning,” Natsu snapped, not realizing the slight look of disappointment in Lucy’s eyes. However, just the chance that it _could_ happen made her heart race. Before long, a controller was thrust into her hands. “Come on, Luce, let’s show him how it’s done.”

* * *

“HOW THE HELL DID YOU BEAT ME SNOW FAIRY?!” Natsu shouted, Lucy taking the controller before he chucked it across the room (like the last time Gray beat him. Thank Gods for warranties). 

Gray couldn’t stop laughing. “That’s what you get for picking The Flash,” he mocked, further lighting the fire under his best friend’s butt. “He’s got nothing on Captain Cold.” Chuckling to himself, he looked out and saw his two buddies staring at each other, faces red from nerves. Part of him felt bad for using their competitive streaks against them, but something had to be done. Gods knew Natsu would never figure it out on his own and if Lucy wouldn’t look at Gray the way she did at Natsu, and the least he could do was help them sort out their feelings. Being the gentleman he was, he even offered to leave to give them privacy. He grabbed the nachos that had been long forgotten and began to snack on them as he left the room. 

Natsu and Lucy both gulped as their gazes locked on each other. Neither spoke for what seemed like an eternity before Natsu broke the silence. “Look, I’ll lie,” he offered, panic written across his face. Lucy couldn’t help but find it adorable. “I’ll tell him I did it, okay? I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do and it was a dick move of him anyw–”

The salmon-haired gamer didn’t get a chance to finish his statement before Lucy closed the gap between them, taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Placing both hands on either side of Natsu’s flushed face, she pulled him into her and pressed her lips against his. They stayed like that, locked together until Lucy pulled away with blushing cheeks of her own. 

“Okay, Gray! You can come back in now!” she shouted, laughing as Natsu fell back against his bed in utter shock. “But this time, you’re going down!”


	2. Gothic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Round: Gothic; where one of our lovebirds chooses a significant life change.

* * *

_London, 1773_

Miss Lucy Heartfilia, daughter of a wealthy businessman, hurried down a back alley as the sounds of night-veiled London echoed off in the distance. Carriages coming and going, drunks laughing outside of the pubs, all reminders of how much trouble was awaiting her at home.

Around Midday she had been allowed to walk unaccompanied to the bookshoppe on the corner, about a mile from her family’s estate. Normally she never traveled anywhere without her Valet, Virgo, but due to her busy schedule, Lucy was permitted to go alone. She had finished the three books she bought over the past week and desperately needed more of she was to sit through another weekend of meeting potential suitors.

Coming around the corner, the blonde debutante found herself staring down a solid brick wall. Perhaps she should have paid more attention when Virgo had attempted to teach her the path home. Where had she gone wrong? She had left the shoppe, cut behind it and made her way passed the Bakery and the Florist. Had she gone down the wrong street when she found the Abbey? It was well into the early evening and she had no business being out on her own, which made her fear the other possible repercussions; the ones that were far worse than a scolding from her absent father.

The sound of a glass bottle skittering across the pavement quickly grabbed Lucy’s undivided attention. Her heart began to race in her chest, the corseted bodice of her gown only further hindering her breathing. She was as good as trapped, like prey backed into a corner.

“W-who’s there?!” she demanded, summoning as much of her opulent upbringing to make her voice less shaky. Her confidence was only met with multiple snickers. 

“Pretty girls shouldn’t be out this late without a proper escort, Missy,” one of the drunks slurred, another slightly shorter body appearing behind him. The odds of Lucy being able to defend herself against _one_ attacker were low, but _two?_ Her stomach began to churn over the possibilities. Unluckily for her, the other half of the gruesome twosome was caging her in from the other side, effectively trapping her between two assailants and the wall.

“We should take her home, Kurohebi,” said the shorter man, a menacing grimace creeping to his lips.  His compatriot laughed as he reached out, twirling strands of Lucy’s golden hair around his lithe finger. 

“Your right, Nullpudding,” the raven-haired man sneered, “Too bad we don’t know where she lives. Guess we’ll just have to take her back to our house.” 

As they both went to grab Lucy’s arms, she belted out a deafening scream and her attack was over before it even began. Everything happened before her eyes, but it all happened so quickly that she was unsure of _what_ was really going on. In what felt like an instant, both attackers were pushed away from her, a flash of pink the first thing to catch Lucy’s eye. Kurohebi and Nullpudding stumbled backward, only to find a mysterious figure standing between them and their prey.

“You really shouldn’t harass beautiful young women,” said the man, grinning victoriously. His eyes were oynx, hair as vivid as salmon and clothes fit for the upper echelon of society. What _really_ caught Lucy’s attention were his pointed fangs…

The two men tried to get retribution on the random stranger that had intervened but they were quickly dealt with, both of them soon taking off down the alley as fast as their legs could carry them. Everything inside Lucy told her that she should be doing the same, but there was the tiniest voice in the back of her mind that kept her planted right where she stood. Surprisingly she wasn’t afraid of the Good Samaritan or his demonic smile.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he asked, his voice filled with concern. Lucy blushed quietly with such attention, hoping the darkness of the alleyway would keep her secret. 

“I’m fine,” she answered softly, “Thanks to you.” Holding out her hand, palm down, she smiled warmly. “It’s only fair that you tell me your name so I can thank you properly Mr…?” she left her words hanging in the London mist as she waited for him to answer. 

With a smile equally as bright, the man bowed slightly, taking her by the hand, and gently pressing his lips against her soft skin. “Natsu Dragneel, at your service,” he teased, picking himself back up again and gazing at her with something Lucy couldn’t place. Before she could figure it out, Natsu was guiding her back to the street. With a grin and a politely extended arm,  he sidled up to Lucy. “Would you allow me the pleasure of walking you home?

A month soon passed. Lucy had endured multiple potential suitors at her father’s command. Eventually he’d given up in her ability to choose one for herself and had settled on a wealthy man from the neighboring province. It was her last night in her family’s estate and she was crying among her packed belongings.

What made matters worse was the fact that Natsu had failed to meet her. After he walked her home, he’d made a habit of escorting her every time she was allowed out. Honestly she had come to enjoy his company in more than a friendly companion manner, but what was she to do? She was promised to another man and Natsu was…immortal.

She vividly remembered the night he’d explained everything to her. They had sat in her family’s garden for hours after walking home from Church as he told her about his life, and his life before ‘the change’. He had been a sailor, traveling the world and going on all sorts of adventures. The hardest part to believe was that it was almost three hundred years prior to their current day. One day, in a port town known for the occult, he’d been bitten by another vampyre named Igneel, and Natsu considered it to be his greatest adventure yet. After Igneel was killed, however, Natsu went about the rest of his days alone. Until he met Lucy, that is.

While she used her lace handkerchief to brush away her tears, the blonde heard a light tapping on her window. Confusion and curiosity led her to the sill, only for ‘shock’ to take their place.

“Natsu!” Lucy chastised, wrapping her night robe tighter around her shivering form. “How did you get up onto the terrace? And do you know what time it is?!”

All Natsu did was chuckle, casually walking toward Lucy before guiding them both back into the comfort of her bedroom suite. “I promised I would be here, didn’t I?” came the same cocky tone that Lucy had grown to love. He looked around the room, taking in the sight of her entire life packed away into train cases.

“Are you really leaving?” he asked, his voice softer than normal. It concerned Lucy more than she cared to admit, causing her to close the space between them and sit on one of the cases closest to here he was standing. 

“Unfortunately,” she replied, woe and sadness oozing from just one word. “I’ve been given to Dan Straight, of the Liverpool Straights.” She huffed. “Apparently my prison sentence, I mean, _marriage_ , will stand to make my father quite a bit of money. Plus he offered a substantial dowry so…” she trailed off, feeling the heartbreak silence her. 

Natsu’s immediate presence quieted her for another reason. His eyes were fixed on her, filled with something that resembled ‘fear’. She was about to speak again before he cut her off.

“You don’t have to go, Luce,” he murmured, “Stay with me. We’ll go somewhere else. Maybe we can find a boat to the New America’s? Your father would never find us there.” 

Lucy’s jaw fell open in a very unladylike fashion. Run away with Natsu? Leave behind everything she had ever known the night before she was supposed to be shipped off to her waiting husband? The longer she thought it over, the more obvious the answer became,  under _one condition._

“Turn me and I will,” Lucy said confidently. If she was running off into the sunset with Prince Charming, she was going to make sure the fairytale lasted forever. “Make me like you and I’ll leave with you tonight.” 

If it was possible, Natsu looked paler than he usually did. “Y-y-you want to be like m-me?” he stammered, wringing his hands slightly. He brushed her hair back lovingly, exposing the side of her neck. They sat together in perfect silence for what seemed like an eternity before Natsu wordlessly agreed. Nodding before gently pressing his lips against hers, he whispered softly against them. “Had to do that before I took your life”

* * *

_New York City, 1830_

Fifty-seven years went by like no time at all. The eternal twenty-year-olds had settled in their new life in the United States. Lucy’s father was long gone, no one chasing after them for at least two decades. Their ‘diet’ consisted of animals mostly, indulging in a heinous criminal or two occasionally. The best part of Lucy Dragneel’s new life? She had her best friend and lover by her side until the end of days, and there was no doubt that ‘being alive’ was simply a state of mind.


	3. Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nostalgia; where one of our lovebirds temporarily loses themselves.

With a sigh, Lucy hung the last picture on the wall, brushing the sweat drenched loose wisps of hair from her forehead. Natsu and Happy had gone on a two-week long job and it had been the longest fortnight the Celestial Wizard had ever experienced. While they were gone, she had taken it upon herself to plan a little surprise for them on top of the mission she was already tasked with. It had taken a week in itself, but with Reedus's help, her side project had turned out great with just enough time remaining for her to get everything set up by the time her partners came home.

Lucy was shocked with how perfect they had all turned out but now that she saw the result of all their hard work? It was more than worth it. The back wall of Natsu's living room now contained plenty of random pictures, all of varying size, shape, and subject. There were pictures of the entire team, of the guild hall, other members, even memories Lucy had recounted to the PictoMagic Mage. Standing back, the blonde looked over each depiction and relived each moment before moving onto the next, losing herself to the point where she hadn't even heard the front door open.

"Where'd all these come from?" came a voice Lucy hadn't been expecting for a few more hours. She should have been more surprised with Natsu being a 'self-proclaimed Ninja Master' after all.

Lucy smiled warmly, watching as Natsu's eyes traced over every picture. His gaze lingered on one in particular toward the middle, a portrait of himself with a certain blonde outside the Guild Hall, surrounded by all their loved ones. They were all dressed to the nines, Lucy donning a gorgeous snow white gown and Natsu wearing a suit picked by Loke from the Celestial Realm. In the photo, the two wizards were sharing their first kiss as Husband and Wife only a few weeks prior. That particular image had been a wedding gift from their elated guildmate.

"Reedus painted them for us," Lucy remarked softly, sidling up to Natsu and tucking herself underneath his arm. And just like every other time, his arm tightened around her as if to ground her. "With you and Happy gone, and with me finally moving the rest of my stuff in, I figured I'd do something nice." She blushed slightly, nuzzling further into her husband's chest. Her voice was slightly more timid than usual. "D-do you like it?"

Lucy's answer was Natsu scooping her into his arms, clutching her tightly. "Are you kidding?!" he exclaimed, looking down at her like a child looked at his freshly unwrapped toys on Christmas morning. "Now this is officially our place." Looking around the room, the Dragon Slayer grinned wickedly at the barren walls. "Now let's fill the rest of 'em!"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short one, I'm sorry. But 'Tarot' makes up for it. :D


	4. Tarot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tarot; where Natsu and Lucy meet in a different time under MUCH different circumstances.

As Princess of the Realm, Lucy had many obligations. Her father, King Jude of Heartfilia had his fair share as well, hence why his only daughter was currently packed into a carriage on her way to meet her future husband. In order to preserve peace between their two nations, her father had promised her hand in marriage to Prince Dan in the neighboring country to the South. Unfortunately, she was used to feeling like a bargaining chip.

Sitting in the ornately decorated, wood cart, Lucy stared out the window at the passing landscape, sighing to herself quietly. Her Royal Guards, Erza and Gray, sat on the bench opposing her, bickering about their responsibilities once they arrived in their new home. She'd been lucky when Dan had allowed her to bring two of her closest loved ones with her. Even the fact that he'd allowed her to do anything made her want to scoff. All that did was set the tone for what she knew would be the rest of her miserable days.

"Cheer up, Lucy," Erza remarked warmly, drawing the princess's attention her friends. "I've been assured that the King's castle has a beautifully maintained garden. Perhaps we could take a walk through it after we've settled in our quarters."

"If my new jailer permits," Lucy grumbled, crossing her arms delicately over her chest, as much as the tightly laced bodice would allow of course. All she'd done was move from one prison to the next. At least she wouldn't be completely alone. Sighing, she dropped her shoulders and attempted to relax. "Sorry, Erza," she said, her royally influenced smile etching on her lips. "You're right. I'm sure they're beautiful."

Gray was the next one to voice his opinion. "I don't get why your Father picked this guy, apparently he's a royal pain in the ar–." He didn't get to finish his thought before Erza punched him in the arm, hard. His steely gaze turned on his ally quickly. "Was that really necessary?!"

The two soldiers were bickering before Lucy knew it, causing the blonde to laugh at the familiarity of it all. It felt like she was home again, easing the ache in her heart for a moment. All before disaster struck.

"Titania!" yelled the Carriage Driver, another of Lucy's guards named Gajeel. By the tone of his voice, the Princess could tell the matters outside were serious. The carriage screeched to a halt, jostling the young royal between its walls. She was commanded to stay put as her two best friends left her unattended in order to fend off whatever enemy lurked in the surrounding forest.

Lucy's mind automatically assumed the worst, picturing Bandit raiders, assassins from warring lands, she'd been warned of it all by the time she was ten. Before she had even left her castle, Sir Capricorn, the head of her Father's guard, had warned her of the possibility of interception on her journey. The worried princess calmed her racing mind by reminder herself that Gray, Erza, and Gajeel were three of Celestiana's best warriors. Whatever had come for them, her guards would take care of the problem before it even had the chance to escalate further, she was sure.

Erza rushing back into the carriage didn't bode well for Lucy. The redhead was heaving beneath her armor plates, her hand covered in blood splatter. Probably from the unfortunate soul that dared to cross blades with Erza "Titania" Scarlet.

"Princess, we must take evasive action," the redhead commanded, throwing open the opposite door. Lucy and her guardian took off into the dense forest in hopes of finding an appropriate hiding place. As they scurried, the bandits were hot on their tail which caused the blonde girl to panic.

"Erza, what are we going to do?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear. The two Celestials dodged between the foliage as Erza made them serpentine through the trees.

Finding a hollow log, the guard quickly peered around, ensuring they were alone. "Lucy, I need you to hide in here until I can come back for you," she instructed, kneeling down to aid her charge. Tears sprung forth from the princess's eyes.

"P-please don't-t leave me b-behind" she pleaded, fingers gripping onto her best friend's armor. The soldier hastily tucked Lucy's appendages back into the log.

"I'll come find you, I promise," the redhead whispered before taking off again into the forest alone with hopes of finding her comrade in one piece.

Hours soon passed and the sun began to fade behind the mountains. Lucy, stricken with fear, had refrained from moving a single muscle as she awaited her valets' return. The forest had been eerily quiet, leading the princess to believe that everything was fine, or that everything had gone terribly wrong.

Deciding to disobey Erza's command, Lucy forced her stiff body out of her hiding place in order to find her friends. After wandering for awhile in the dark, she unfortunately became more lost in the process, coming back to her spot multiple times in attempts at finding her way out. Grumpily she threw herself down onto her log and huffed, desperately wishing that she'd been able to pay better attention to her surroundings. No doubt Erza and Gray knew where they were, wherever they were.

A rustling in the trees soon caught Lucy's attention and she jumped up from the log, grabbing at whatever 'weapon' she could find in the near vicinity. With a rock in hand, she awaited whatever was out there. "Show yourself!" she demanded, heart racing and courage wavering. The last thing she expected to see was pink hair…?

Two hands shot out of the brush, a tuft of pink soon following, accompanied by a man around Lucy's age dressed in the typical Gypsy attire. His muscled chest was tanned and exposed beneath a patchwork vest, baggy white linen pants covered most of his lower body, and a frayed white scarf held back his salmon locks. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said slowly as if speaking to a child. "You've been running around these woods for a couple of hours now, so I figured I would help you." He nodded to the rock in her hand. "As soon as you drop your weapon that is."

Lucy looked at the stranger, at her rock, and back at the stranger before placing it back on top of the log. "Want to tell me why you let me run around all that time instead of helping me?!" she screeched, hands now on her hips.

The forest gypsy just grinned toothily before beckoning her to follow him. "There's way worse in these woods than me," he threw over his shoulder as he turned and walked further into the forest, leaving Lucy with no option but to follow.

After a few silent minutes, the two of them arrived in a small camp outlined by a handful of wooden wagons. There were maybe twenty people in all, each dressed just as her mystery savior. He walked her to the wagon near the 'top' of the circle where there sat an older man dressed almost identically to the man on Lucy's right.

"Natsu!" bellowed the man from his perch, causing the Princess to tremble slightly. "Why have you brought an outsider to our camp?"

Natsu looked at the ground, an obvious sign of respect and subservience. "She was lost in the woods, Papa," he explained, gesturing to her clothes. "And she obviously wasn't prepared to spend the night out there." Lucy blushed as the gypsy continued to speak on her behalf. "Please, let her stay the night and I will escort her back to town come morning. Please?!"

Looking over the young girl, Igneel agreed with his son. "Very well, but she is your responsibility."

Lucy wanted to speak up for herself. She was a Princess for Gods' sake! She was no one's 'responsibility' save for Erza, Gajeel, and Gray. A small gasp tore through her sealed lips, Natsu the first one to realize. "Something the matter?"

"Did anyone find anyone else in the forest today?!" she cried, tears streaming down her soiled cheeks. Natsu turned to his father, receiving a slow nod in response to his silent question.

"There are a woman and two men in one of the wagons," the pinket explained, running his hand through his hair. He pointed at the bottom of her gown, where her family crest was elegantly stitched in. "Wearing cloaks with sigils like that. But they're sleeping. They weren't exactly in the best shape when my sister, Wendy got to them. Thankfully she's our healer, so she got to work right away before we even got them back to camp."

Lucy sighed in relief as Natsu led her to the neighboring wagon. He parted the drapes and allowed her to see her friends, all three sleeping soundly and bandaged up practically everywhere on their bodies. She shook her head as she continued to cry. "This is my f-fault," she choked, "T-they're my f-friends. They w-were protect-ting me."

"Protecting you?" Natsu asked, taking a minute to put two and two together. "Wait! You're the Heartfilia Princess, aren't you?!" The rest of the group fell silent but their facial expressions told her everything she needed to know. Obviously, they weren't exactly devoted inhabitants of the town, and her father hadn't exactly been kind to their people. All she could do was hope that her story would win them over.

After recounting all that had happened, and being verified by Wendy (who had gotten bits and pieces from her patients before they passed out), Natsu led her to the first wagon again and went inside, helping her up the rickety steps. He rummaged through a trunk before throwing her a dress to wear, one much lighter than her own. "Go ahead and put that on for now," he instructed, leaving her alone in order to do just that. "I'll be by the fire when you're ready."

Lucy changed quickly and followed Natsu out to the fireside. There were children playing, people eating, drinking, and laughing, and another woman reading cards. She couldn't help but smile at what surrounded her. Part of her envied the freedom the Gypsies had, the way they traveled from one town to another in search of adventure. Another part of her wondered if she could ever give up her royal life to lead one of poverty and uncertainty. Looking around the circle, Lucy's gaze kept returning to the card reader, filling the princess with intrigue.

Seeing her attention being drawn to Cana, Natsu led them both to the fortune teller and sat them down on the other side of her crate.

"I'm guessing no one has told you your future before," the brunette slurred, stacking her deck before handing it to the blonde. "Shuffle these while thinking of the one question you've always wanted to be answered."

Looking around at the happiness and freedom that surrounded her, Lucy couldn't help but wonder if she would ever have the same. Would she be destined to have every aspect of her life controlled for her or would she command her own destiny one day? After she was sure the cards were completely shuffled, she handed them back to the fortune teller and sat back, awaiting her fate.

Cana set the cards in a very simplistic order, a simple line of three. Flipping the first card, she explained that that particular card meant she had encountered recent misfortune, like losing someone she cherished. The middle card signaled that she was at a crossroads. Before reading the third card, Cana took a moment to watch as Natsu stared intently at their visitor with emotions she'd never seen from him before. Grinning, she flipped the last card, and couldn't believe that the fates were with her.

"Looks like your in for your own adventure, Princess," she teased, "Hope you're up for the challenge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you this one was better. Haha


End file.
